Cash and package carrier



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. P. BIGELOW.

CASH AND PACKAGE GARRIBR.

QAA Y Patented Nova-24,1885;

N PETERS. Pnolwlimognpncr, Wamin mn. n. (L

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W, P. BIGELOW'.

CASH AND PACKAGE CARRIER.

Patented Nov. 24, 1885.

Invenlar Uwirnn drains Parent (Clarice.

WILLIAM P. BIcnLowou NATIGK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERCHANTS STORE SERVICE COMPANY, on PGRTLAND, MAINE.

CASH AND PACKAGE CARRIER.

ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,869, dated November 24:, 1885. Application filed August 3, 1885. Serial No. 173,318. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. BIGELOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at N atick, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash and Package Carriers 5 and I hereby declare that the same arefully described in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawlngs.

My invention consists in various improvements relating to cash and package systems, and more especially to those in which there is used a positively-fixed track and a tractionbelt to propel a carriage on said track.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stationary track or single supporting-way provided with a traveling or traction belt with my improved carriage and appliances for operating the same, showing also how the traction-belt may be operated by steam-power. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the means for operating the traction-belt by hand-power. Fig. 3 is a sec tional View of my improved track, together with the device for releasing the basket from the carrier. Fig. 4 is a plan end view of the device by which I connect the basket with the carriers. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the same. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of my improved carriage resting on the track or supporting-way, which consists simply of an L- shaped strip of any suitable material. Fig. 7 is a View, partly in section, of the device for connecting the basket with the carriage in place in the carriage. Fig. 8 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the operation of releasing the device which holds the basket upon the arms of the carriage. Fig. 9 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the track I preferably use. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of my improved carriage. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the same.

D represents the frame of my improved carriage, which is provided with two wheels, C G, preferably made of rawhide, to run on the top of the vertical arm of the track F or X, while E is a wheel, preferably of rawhide, adapted to steady the carriage by coming in contact with the lower side of the horizontal '50 arm of the track F or X. This is clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

A and B are two arms or flanges connected with the carriage D, arranged to readily receive the arm L of the basket or any other suitable device for carrying a package. The arm L is provided with two small levers, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7, and 8, M M, which are held firmly at right angles to the arm L unless the triggers N N are pressed apart or separated from: each other, when the levers M M will assume a vertical position. Any suitable devicesuch as a spring, SI use in connection with the triggers N N.

O is simply the framework which holds the levers M M and the mechanism for operating the same.

H isa- Vshaped wedge connected to the bent arm I, which is connected to the supporting way or track, as shown in Fig. 3. This V- shaped wedge I preferably use to operate the levers M M by means of triggers N N.

J is a tractionbelt, to which I connect the carriage D by any suitable means, and which 7 is operated by passing around the grooved pulleys R R.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the pulleys R connected to a vertical shaft, P, which can be operated by steam-power by means of the gear-wheels S S and thepulley T, or by handpower by means of the gear-wheels S S and the hand-gears T T.

F F are simple supports by which the supporting-way F is connected to the ceiling or upper part of the room.

Q is a bracket for supporting the grooved wheel R.

K is a shelf placed beneath an arm, I, for catching the basket when it automatically drops from the carriage.

I preferably use a track of the construction shown in section in Fig. 3, where F represents an L-shaped strip, preferably of metalsuch as iron-while X is a thin strip, preferably of wood, attached to the L-shaped strip. 5 This may be done by bolts or in any effectual way. The carriage-wheels move on the upper and under edges of the strip X or L-strip, as

shown in Figs. 6 and 9. By using the wood strip I obtain a light and noiseless track.

The peculiar construction of the track has many advantages. It keeps always in perfect position, and is easily handled.

In Fig. 1 I have showntwo baskets connected by the arm L to my improved carriage. These baskets may be provided with a handle or not.

In operating my improved system I preferably use steam-power as a motor, and I cause the traction-belt J to move continuously at a suitable speed, drawing with it any number of carriages D D, which are all alike, and which may be placed any suitable distance apart. Any one of these carriages D D is adapted, by means of its arms AB, to receive the arm L, and thereby support and carry the basket. As the carriagesDDare continually passing around the track, the salesman or cashier who desires to send the parcel from one station to another has simply to hold the lasket up, placing the arm Lagainst the track F or X, and the carriage, as it approaches, will receive the arm L between its flanges A B. Thelevers M M, being horizontal during this operation, support the basket at the rear of the flanges AB, and are kept in place by the notches a b. Thebasket is also carried from the point where it is automatically disconnected by the triggers N N coming in contact with its corresponding wedge, H. It will be readily seen that by varying the length of the triggers N N and the device H they will come in contact or not with each other.

In a system of this kind there may be two or more salesmens stations, each of which has a carrier provided with triggers, which are only operated at its particular station and at the cashiers station. I use two supportingways, that I may have, preferably, at one end of these supporting-ways a cashiers desk, and between each end of the supporting-ways one or more'salesmens stations.

I operate my improved system by having the salesmanattach the carrier or basket to the carriage as it is moving in the direction of the cashiers desk, where it is discharged, and by having the cashier reattach the basket and send it to the particular salesman to whom it belongs on the other supporting-way by a carriage moving on that way to the salesman.

It will be thus seen that the salesman when he as at I or I, near the support F. I preferably have a basket for each salesmans station, the trigger of whose handle is only operated at its station and at the cashiers station. Thus it will bereadily seen that a basket connected by a salesman to a carriage moving to the cashiers desk, as at a point, at, opposite the discharging-station I, Fig. 1, will pass up thetrack to the cashiers station I, next to the shaft P, where it will be automatically discharged from the carriage, whilea basket connected at the cashiers desk I, next to shaft I, will pass on the other supporting-way in the direction of the arrow y, and will be automatically discharged at its proper salesmans station, as I.

In order to create no confusion at the cashiers desk, I have each of the baskets or carriers lettered or numbered to correspond with the particular station to which they belong. It will be noticed that a basket can be connected to a carriage at anypoint in the track, and that it will continue to travel with the triggers of its handle are operated upon, when it will be discharged. As.at the cashiersstation all the baskets are to be discharged, one

device, H, may be constructed of sufficient length to operate all the triggers of the different handles. I have shown a shelf, K, on whichthe basket may drop as it is discharged at I over it. There may be used for catching the basket several other things-such as a wire-netting, or a pouch made of cloth or any suitable material. This shelf or pouch should be placed at sufficient distance below the track to allow the other baskets to pass over it.

In setting up my improved system I preferably place the tracks so that one is next to the shelving, back of the counter, and its parallel track just over the edge of the counter. With this arrangement I attach the shelf or pouch K to the shelving. The traction-cord .I, if the system is operated by steam-power, is intended to be always in motion, so thatI preferably have the salesman attach the basket to the carriage as it is passing on the track over the counter. The basket is then carried to the cashiers desk and automatically discharged. When the goods have been packed and change made, the basket is attached to any one of the passing carriages, and is taken on the track next to the shelving back to the salesman, where it is automatically discharged.

Having now fully described my invention, what I desire to claim is- 1. In astore-servicesystem,supporting-ways between the cashiers desk and the salesmens stations, in combination with a traction-belt provided with a series of carriages having wheels arranged to run on the upper and lower edge of said ways, substantially as set forth.

2. In a store-service system, a supportingway, a traction-belt, a series of carriages attached to said belt, carriers provided with arms having levers to support said carriers and discharge them, triggers and a wedge to operate the said levers, whereby the carriers are automatically discharged at the oashiers desk and at the salesmens stations, substantially as described.

3. In a store-service system, the combination,with a track, of a traction-belt and carriages provided with wheels arranged to run on the upper and lower side of said track, which consists of an L-shaped strip of any suitable material, substantially as described.

4. The combination,withatraction-belt and its carriages, of the supporting-way, baskets, and shelf or pouch to receive the basket when it is disconnected from the carriage, substantiall y as described.

5. In a store-service system,a track consisting of the combination of a metallic support ing-way having a non-metallic raiL, for the wheels of the carriage to come in contact with, as and for the purpose substantially as described.

6. In a store-service system, a carriage for supporting a basket or carrier, consisting of a frame provided with wheels adapted to run on the upper and lower sides of a supportingway, and also provided with flanges arranged to receive the arm or handle of a carrier, substantially as described.

7 In a store-service system, a basket or carrier, in combination with an arm provided with a mechanism for connecting it with the carriage which transports the carrier, the said mechanism consisting of two levers provided with triggers,which are operated by coming in contact with a wedge, and said wedge,whereby the carrier is supported and automatically discharged, substantially as described.

8. In a store-service system provided with a supporting-way and a traction-belt, and having two or more salesmens stations and a cashiers desk, a carrier or basket for merchandise and cash for each station,which carrier or basket is automatically discharged from the supporting-way only at its own station and the cashiers desk, substantially as described.

9. In a store-service system,the carrier having an arm provided with mechanism; consisting of the levers M M,the triggers N N, and spring S,in combination with the carriage having flanges A B, whereby the carrier is supported and discharged, substantially as described.

10. In a store-service system, the carrier having an arm provided with mechanism consisting of the levers M M, the triggers N N, and spring S,in combination with the wedge or wedges arranged to operate said triggers, and a carriage having the flanges A B, whereby the carrier is supported and automatically discharged, substantially as described.

11. A storeservice system consisting of a supporting-track, a traction-belt, carriages D, arranged to run on said track and propelled by said belt, carriers provided with arms arranged to be supported on said carriages and to be automatically discharged therefrom, and arms arranged to operate on the supporting and discharging mechanism of the carrier,whereby each carrier is discharged at its own station and at the cashiers desk only, substantially as described.

12. A store-service system in which each station has a carrier so connected to the traction-belt which carries it to and fro between its own station and the cashiers desk that it is only discharged at its own station and at the eashiers desk, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM P. BIGELOW. 

